Policies & Procedures

Policies and Procedures

1.0 Grievance and Dispute Resolution Policy and Procedure

First Media Design School is committed to providing a learning environment that is safe and fair for all members of the School community. This policy applies to students of the School who have complaints, including complaints of bullying, discrimination, harassment, victimization or vilification.

It may also cover previously enrolled students under certain circumstances. Wherever possible, such complaints will be resolved by a process of discussion, cooperation and mediation, as soon as possible after an incident or situation has occurred. Complaints will be treated seriously, expeditiously and sensitively having due regard to procedural fairness and confidentiality. Frivolous or vexatious complaints or complaints without substance will not proceed beyond preliminary investigation.

Students are expected to participate in the complaint/grievance resolution process in good faith. Anonymous complaints will only be investigated at the discretion of the School, where the conduct raised is of a serious nature. Staff and students are responsible for ensuring that their own behavior contributes to the maintenance of a learning environment free from all forms of discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment.

First Media Design School has established a process that facilitates a safe and fair learning environment for all students of the School. The procedure outlines the steps that staff and students of the School must take to resolve student complaints. The procedures apply to a student experience at the School.

The Fee Protection Scheme (FPS) serves to protect students’ fees in the event a private education institution is unable to continue operating due to insolvency, and/or regulatory closure. The Fee Protection Scheme also protects students if the private education institution fails to pay penalties or return fees to the students arising from judgement made against it by the Singapore courts.

EduTrust-certified private education institutions are required to adopt the Fee Protection Scheme to provide full protection to all fees paid by their students. All fees refer to all monies paid by the students to be enrolled in a private education institution, excluding the course application fee, agent commission fee (if applicable), miscellaneous fees (non-compulsory and non-standard fee paid only when necessary or where applicable, for example, the re-exam fee or charges for credit card payment etc,) and GST.

Request for course deferment must be made in writing and submitted together with Deferment Request Form and supporting documents.

Deferment for a course will only be considered if valid grounds are provided.

Valid grounds for applying for deferment include:

Medical reasons

Bereavement of immediate family members including parents, spouse and children.

Deferment is allowed for only up to a maximum of six (6) months per deferment. Failing to resume the course after the deferment, the student will be deemed to have withdrawn from the course and refund (if any) will be made in accordance with FMDS refund policy. International students will be required to reapply their Student’s Pass (subject to ICA’s approval) as a new applicant if they are still interested in pursuing the course.

Students whose application for derferment is rejected may apply to withdraw from the course (Refer to course transfer / withdrawal policy and procedures).

4.0 Refunds Procedure

4.1 Refunds for Withdrawal due to Non-delivery of Courses

FMDS shall inform the Student immediately within three (3) working days if:

It does not commence the Course on the Course Commencement Date;

It terminates the Course before the Course Commencement Date;

It does not complete the Course by the Course Commencement Date;

It terminates the Course before the Course Completion Date;

The Course does not meet the minimum requirement of 5 students for the new intake: or

The Student’s programme application is rejected by the University partner; or

The Student’s Pass application is rejected by the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority of Singapore (ICA).

FMDS shall, within seven (7) working days of notifying the Student in writing of the above (1) to (7), provide the Student with information and details of the alternative confirmed course arrangement to allow the Student to make timely and appropriate decision on the alternative arrangement.

Under the above (1) to (7), within seven (7) working days after notifying the Student, FMDS shall also refund the Student:

The entire amount of the Course Fees; and

The Miscellaneous Fees*

4.2 Refunds for Withdrawal Due to Other Reasons

% of [the aggregate amount of the fees paid under Clause 1.3 of the standard student contract]

If Student’s written notice of withdrawal is received

100%

(“Maximum Refund”) More than [30] days before the Course Commencement Date

50%

Less than [30] days before the Course Commencement Date

0%

Upon course commencement date

*”Course commencement date” refers to actual date whereby the student commences his/her 1st term of studies and not the subsequent modules start date.

4.3 Course Application Fee is Non-refundable

5.0 Student Contract

FMDS shall provide the Student with a cooling-off period of [7] working days after signing the standard Student Contract. Within these 7 days and regardless whether the course commencement date has passed, the Student can submit written notice of withdrawal to FMDS and receive the Maximum Refund amount stipulated by the PEI under Clause 2.3 of the standard student contract. Any dispute in respect of how much Course Fees have been consumed pursuant to this clause shall be referred to mediation at the Singapore Mediation Centre (SMC) or Singapore Institute of Arbitrators (SIArb) through the CPE Student Services Centre pursuant to Clause 3 ; and only in respect of such decision, the decision of the Singapore Mediation Centre (SMC) or Singapore Institute of Arbitrators (SIArb) shall be final and binding on all parties.

6.0 Transfer/Withdrawal Policy & Procedure

6.1 Requests for withdrawal/transfer must be done formally through the Administration Office; request through telephone calls will not be entertained.

6.2 Once a student has enrolled for an Advanced Diploma or BA (Hons) programme, he/she will not be allowed to transfer to a Diploma level programme. Due diligence will be taken to ensure that prospective students are well aware of this guideline during pre-course counseling.

6.3 Students intending to transfer from the course he/she is attending to a different course conducted by the School, must complete the “Change of Level/Course” form obtainable from the Administrative Office.

6.4 Students intending to withdraw from the course must obtain and complete the “Course Withdrawal & Refund Form” and submit it to the Administration Office.

6.5 All transfer/withdrawal requests will be subjected to an interview session with the School’s Principal.

Withdrawal

Approval for withdrawal will take into consideration:

Whether the request is due to financial problems. If yes, the school will try to work out a financial assistance scheme (if possible) for the student to carry on with his / her studies.

Whether the reason for withdrawal is valid and not based on bias and / or discrimination against staff or other students.

An official letter will be issued to student on the outcome not more than 4 weeks from the transfer request date and not more than 4 days from withdrawal request date. For withdrawal case, refund of fees shall be in accordance with the School’s Refund Policy.

For international students whose application for withdrawal has been applied under the School, FMDS will submit the cancellation of Student Pass to ICA. A temporary visit pass will be issued to the student in concern by ICA before being required to leave Singapore within a stated period of time.

Note that duration of visit pass issued will be decided by ICA and the School takes no say or responsibilities in this.

Transfer

For international students holding on to a student pass, they are required to reapply for a new student pass once the School approves the request for transfer.

The School will assist the student in the application process, which takes about 4 weeks to be processed by ICA.

Paid / Unconsumed Fee

Course fee paid/unconsumed for the original enrolled course will be transferred to the new course of study once the transfer is approved.

Administrative Charges

There will be no administrative charges by the School on the student for withdrawal or transfer request regardless of the outcome.